Cis. Boom. Wow!

Remember America, the great melting pot of civilization? Where did that idea even come from? “The melting pot comes from the idea that all of the cultural differences in the United States meld together, as if they were metals being melted down to become a stronger alloy. Rather than embracing multiculturalism, as is the policy in Canada and some other countries, the United States encourages different cultures to assimilate into its own.” *

That idea might have worked when Lady Liberty came to live in New York Harbor, but it is long dead. We no longer melt but are working hard to blend. This is changing the landscape of our country into a new portrait that like all great artistry some will never understand, some will tolerate, and others will gaze upon in wonder and awe. Thankfully, there will always be those who will continue to find ways to continue to keep changing up the palate and making it their own.

These are the beautiful colors, lines, and shapes of our humanity.

To celebrate Independence Day this year my husband and I attended an event that was fun, entertaining, and meant to change the perceptions of every single person in the audience in a thought provoking and educational way. We were the oldest people in the audience by a generation, but differences in the crowd covered skin tone, disabilities both seen and unseen, gender orientation, language, and factors that I am sure I completely missed. The only melting going on was from the heat. The blending was a beautiful array of acceptance and inclusion on every level.

We learned about the history of Independence Day from the perspective of the slaves once they were freed. We saw the bravery of someone winning the battle against mental illness. We witnessed a generation of people with something to say about all sorts of personal and political issues. They made their statements with passion and class and humor. We saw so much beauty on so many levels.

Here's the kicker. We discovered that we could not stop talking about our evening. We stepped out and did something a bit out of the ordinary. We might not have agreed with everything we heard or saw, but that does not…